Work gage for shoe-sewing machines.



PATENTED JUNE 2, 1903.

J. L. KI-VEFFER. WORK GAGE P0 3 SHOE SEWING MACHINES,

APPLICATION I'ILED' OUT. 20, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET}.

K0 MODEL.

Illl

Witnesses: a Inventory;

Attorneys No. 729,605. PATENTBD JUNE 2,1903.

J. L. YKIEFFER. WORK GAGE FOR SHOE SEWING MACHINES.

Arrm'oinon FILED 001'. 20. 1902.

no noun. 2 sums-45mm a witnesses: fi gil m'gffgr Inventor,

Ultimate STATES Patented June 2, 1903.-

PATENT @FFIKZEEQ \WORK-GAGE FOR SHO E-SEWING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming'ipart of Lette rs' Batent no.

No. IOSAQQ. j Divided and this application filed October 20 1902. Serial No.12 7, 968. (No model.)

Original application filed'May li -l902, Serial 729,605, dated June 2, 1903.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OSEPH LOUIS KIEFFER, a. subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at the city of Montreal, district of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Work-Gages forShoe-Sewing Machines,

and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use 1 justment of the Work-gage on this class of machinery which is adapted to regulate the distance ofthe seam from the edge of the work. This gage in the present type of Inachine is caused to be pushed backward and forward from and toward the awl by means of a handle mounted on the reciprocating caririage and causedtopartake of the reciproca tive movement of the latter. This adjustment in the present type of machine is rendered difficult by reason of this latter fact during the timethat the machine is in motion, because a rapidly-reciprocating handle cannot be grasped and operated to adjust the work-gage satisfactorily, but it is necessary to stop the machine entirely in order to properly adjust the gage. It is therefore my object in the presentinventionto provide a stationaryhandl'e which is so connected to the work-gage as to adjust the position of the same, although the Workgage is mounted upon and reciprocates with the carriage as heretofore. This mechanism constitutes a part of the machine described and claimed as a whole in my former application for a patent, Serial No. 105,493, filed May 1, 1902, of which this application is a division.

The mechanism constituting my invention consists in a rock-shaft mounted to oscillate in a stationary block, the direction of the shaft being parallel with the direction of motion of the carriage, whose lower end carries the work-gage, and the said rock-shaft carries at its endadjacentto the Work-head a gear-segment which engages with a small segmental pinion geared to and reciprocating with the carriage, so that the said pinion may be moved backwardly and forwardly with the carriage withoutinterferingwithitsintermeshing connection with the gear-segment carried by the said rock-shaft. Thus the adjusting means of the work-gage is perfectlystationary and may be set to as great a nicety as may bedesired by means of a tangent screw abutting against a boss on the hub of an adj usting-arm carried by the shaft without stopping or in any way interfering with the operation of the'machine.

I have illustrated my improved work-gage mechanism'apart from the mechanism of the machine as a whole in the accompanying drawings; wherein- Figure 1. is a perspective view of the operati n g parts of myimproved work-gage adj 11stmenttn situ, the stationary parts of the carriage in which they are mounted being indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the parts of the work-gage and adjusting device mounted on the adjustingshaft, these parts being shown in separated positions. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the block in which the work-adjusting shaft is mounted to turn. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the work-gage from the rear left-hand side thereof. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the tangent stop-screw adapted to regulate the movements of the shaft ofthe work-gage-adjusting mechanism. Fig... 6 is a perspective view of the work-gage pinion and its shaft. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the feed-carriage, showing the workrgage, presser-foot, slotted guide-block,and other correlated parts thereof in position thereon. Fig. Sis a similar view showing the feed-carriage by itself.

The same numerals of reference denote like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The work-gageitself is adj ustably mounted upon the carriage of the machine, which is shown in Figs. 7 and 8 and designated 9. This carriage has a depending leg 10, which extends between the two standards of the work-head of the machine, and the horizonin the front edge of the limb of the feedcarriage and is connected with the feed-lever by the swivel-joint 15. At 16 is shown the presser-foot, which is adapted to cooperate with the table in holding the work during the stitching operation and feeding the same along with each advance movement of the carriage. The parts mounted on the carriage, which are shown in Fig. 7, relate to the stitchadjusting mechanism and need not be here referred to, as they form no part of my present invention.

Near the lower end of the leg 10 of the feedcarriage and at its inner or left-hand side is formed a rectangular groove 17, which is destined to receive the work-gage 18. (Shown in detail perspective in Figs. 1 and 4 and mounted in position also in Fig. 7.) This is in the form of a shortrectangular plate having rackteeth 19 formed on its upper surface and a rectangular bent finger 20, which forms the gage and cooperates with the presser-foot 16 and the work-table in striking against the edge of the work and regulating the distance between the edge and the seam. The gageplate 18 has also a longitudinal slot 21 formed therein through which passes the pivot-pin of the awl-block, which is also mounted on the carriage and pal-takes of the vibratory movement thereof, but is not herein shown, as it forms no part of my present invention.

The work-gage motion is shown in general perspective in Fig. 1, and it differs from all the guideway for the carriage and which is shown in dotted lines in Fig. l and designated The block 27 is secured to the workhead by means of screw-bolts or other like fastenings passing through vertical apertures 29. The shaft 26 is mounted in a transverse horizontal aperture 30 in the block 27, and this aperture 30 is connected with the exterior of the block by a cut- 31, the object of this out being to divide the block, so as to enable one of the screws securing it to the work-head to tighten it to the requisite extent to produce a certain amount of friction upon the shaft 26 to prevent its being accidentally moved or by the reaction of the pressure upon the work-gage and otherwise except when it is positively moved by the handle 22. The shaft 26 extends inwardly to a point opposite the end of the overhanging portion 28 of the work-head, and upon this end is mounted a gear-segment 32, which has an aperture 33 passing over the stud 34 on the end of the shaft, to which it is keyed by means of pins 35, seated in notches 36 in the interior face of the aperture 33 and the segment 32 and is prevented from coming off the shaft by a nut 37 on the screw-stud 38, these parts being shown in detail in Fig. 2. The gear-segment 32 is arranged to mesh with a gear-pinion 39, which is mounted upon a short counter-shaft 40, carried in an aperture 41 in the depending leg 10 of the carriage, and the gear-pinion 39, as herein shown, is clamped in position on the shaft 40 by clamping-ears 42 and a screw 43. The other end of the shaft 40 is provided with a pinion 44, which is on the opposite face of the leg 10 of the feed-carriage and is set in a circular recess 45, so as to be flush with the face of the leg 10, as shown in Fig. 7, this pinion 44 being arranged to engage the rack 19, formed on the work-gage 18. 'It will be seen that by operating the handle 22 forwardly the work-gage, with its gage-finger 20, is likewise caused to be pushed forwardly to the extent desired; but the shaft 26 is clamped firmly enough in the block 27 to prevent the pressure of the work from reacting upon the gage sufficiently to move it back.

The hub 24 of the adjusting-handle is provided with a radially-projecting boss 46,-from which proceeds a handle-arm 47 and which is adapted to coact with a tangential stop-screw 48, mounted in a transverse aperture in the pin 49,-which is secured in an aperture in the end of the overhanging portion 28 of the workheadbyaclamping-screw50. 'lhestop-screw 48 may be adjusted to limit the forward movement of tho work-gage to any requisite extent, and it is provided with a lock-nut 51, which clamps it in the position to which it is set. It will be observed that the pinion 39 is made with a wider face thanthe gear-segment 32, so that while the latter is stationary the former in reciprocating shall always be in full intermeshing engagement with the said gear-segment, thus providing for the adjustment of the gage during the operation of the machine, while the adjusting-handle remains stationary.

It will be observed that at any time during the operation of the work the stationary handle 22 may be adjusted to regulate the distance of the seam from the edge of the leather, according as may be desired, without in any way interfering with the formation of the seam, and, in fact, the gage may be continuously adjusted as the work proceeds, so as to continuously vary the distance of the seam from the edge of the work'an operation which has not been practically possible in any former type of machine.

While I have shown in the accompanying drawings the preferred form of my invention, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise form shown, for many of the details may be changed in form or position without affecting the operativeness or utility of my invention, and I therefore oreserve the right to make such modifications as are included within the foregoing description or the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is i 1. In a shoe and leather sewing machine, the combination of a workgage slidably mounted in the feed-carriage, and means stationary during the operation of the machine for adjusting said gage, and an operative connection between said stationary adjusting means and said work-gage. V j

2. In a shoe and leather sewing machine, the combination of a reciprocating feed-carriage, a work-gage slidably mounted in said carriage, oscillating means mounted in said carriage for reciprocating said work-gage to adjust the distance of the seam from the edge of the work, and an adj listing-handle carried by the machine-frame and having operative connections with said oscillating means, whereby the work-gage may be adjusted.

3. In a shoe and leather sewing machine the combination of a laterallyrreciprocating feed-carriage, a work-gage slidably mounted on said carriage and adapted to be operated backward and forward, a rack formed on one edge of said gage, a counter-shaft mounted in said carriage, a pinion mounted on one end of said counter-shaft, and engaging with said rack, a second pinion mounted on the other end thereof, an adjustingshaft parallel to the motion of the carriage and mounted in stationary bearings, and a gear-segment carried by said adjustingshaft and meshing with said second pinion whereby the reciprocation of said carriage does not interfere with the adjustment of thework-gage.

4. In a shoe and leather sewing machine, the combination of a laterally-reciprocating feed-carriage, a work-gage slidably mounted on said carriage and adapted to be operated backward and forward, a rack formed on one edge of said gage, a counter-shaft mounted in said carriage, a pinion mounted on one end of said counter-shaft and engaging with said rack, a second pinion mounted on the other end thereof, an adjusting-shaft parallel to the motion of the carriage and mounted in stationary bearings, a gear-segment carried by said adjusting-shaft andvmeshing with said second pinion, whereby the reciprocation of said carriage doesnot interfere with the adjustment of the workgage, and an adj usting-handle mounted on the outer end of said adjusting-shaft,

5. In a shoe and leather sewing machine,

the combination of a laterally-reciprocating handle mounted on the outer end of said ad-,

justing-shaft, said handle having a projecting boss and a projecting stop-screw adapted to coact with said boss to limitthe mot-ion of said handle.

6. In a shoe and leather sewing machine, the combination of a laterally-reciprocable feed-carriage, a work-gage slidably mounted to be adjusted backward and forward on the end of said carriage, an adjusting-handle mounted to turn in bearings, and connected with said work-gage to adjust the position thereof, and a bearing-block for said handle secured to the frame of the, machine, and having one sideslit so as toadapt the bear= ings to be more or less frictionally engaged with said adj usting-handle to keep the same from rotating.

7. In a shoe and leather sewing machine of the lockstitch type, the combination of a laterally-,reciprocable feed-carriage having a depending leg, a work-gage slidably mounted in a recess in said depending leg and having a rack formed on one edge thereof, a pinion meshing with said rack, ashort counter-shaft carried in said depending leg and carrying said pinion on the end thereof, a second pinion mounted on the other end of said shaft, and having a broadened face, an adjusting rock-shaft mounted in stationary bearings on the frame of the machine, and parallel to the motion of said carriage, a gear-segment mounted on the inner end of said last-named shaft and meshing with said second pinion, an adj usting-handle having a radial hub-boss clamped to the end of said rock-shaft, and a post mounted in the frame of the machine, and havingan adjustable stop-screw adapt- ,edto strike against said hub-boss to limit the motion of said work-gage.

S. In a sewing-machine of .the lockstitch type, the combination of a laterally-reciprocating carriage havinga depending leg, a work-gage slidablymounted in a recess on said leg and adapted to reciprocate toward and from the front of the seam, a rackformed on the upper side, of said work-gage,apinion meshing with said rack, a short countershaft mounted to turn in said depending leg @and having said pinion mounted thereon,a Igsecond pinion mounted on the other end of said shaft and having a broadened face, a stationary bearing-block having an aperture therein, and a cut joining said aperture with the exterior of the block, clamping means for securing said block to the frame of the machine and for compressing said out to increase the friction of said bearingeaperturm an adj usting-shaft mounted in said bearingaperture parallel to the motion of said carriage, a gear-segment mounted on the inner end of said shaft and meshing with said seco 0nd pinion and having a face of less width than the latter, an adjusting handle-arm fixed 

